4.  The applicant, Mr Sergey Vasilyevich Gribanenkov, is a Russian national who was born in 1949 and lives in the Leningrad Region. The facts of the case, as submitted by the applicant, may be summarised as follows.
5.  In 1986 and 1987 the applicant took part in the clean-up operation at the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site. He was subsequently granted disability status and became entitled to various social benefits. The present case concerns disputes over these benefits.
6.  On 3 December 2000 the applicant brought a civil action against the authorities seeking an increase in the monthly disability allowance he was entitled to receive.
7.  On 17 April 2001 the Moskovskiy District Court of St. Petersburg ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to consider the claim and remitted the case to the Sosnoviy Bor Town Court. After receiving the applicant's case file on 6 June 2001, the President of the Sosnoviy Bor Town Court applied, without success, for supervisory review of the decision of 17 April 2001. Eventually the case was remitted to the Sosnoviy Bor Town Court for consideration on the merits.
8.  On 7 August 2002 the Sosnoviy Bor Town Court informed the applicant that his case could not be heard before 17 October 2002 because there were a large number of cases pending and the judge was on leave.
9.  On 17 October 2002 the hearing was adjourned until 19 December 2002.
10.  On 23 December 2002 the Sosnoviy Bor Town Court granted the applicant's claim in part.
11.  On 29 January 2003 the Leningradskiy Regional Court quashed the judgment on appeal and remitted the matter for fresh consideration.
12.  The hearing of the case was then adjourned on 1 and 10 April, 24 September and 16 and 28 October 2003.
13.  On 28 November 2003 the Sosnoviy Bor Town Court awarded the applicant 624,653.85 Russian roubles (RUB) in arrears and increased the monthly disability allowance to RUB 28,205.27 as from December 2003. On 14 January 2004 that judgment was upheld by the Leningradskiy Regional Court.
14.  In August 2005 the judgment was enforced in full.
15.  On 31 January 2006 the Sosnoviy Bor Town Court adjusted the sums awarded under the judgment of 28 November 2003, which had been paid belatedly, to allow for inflation and awarded the applicant RUB 83,185. The decision became final on 16 March 2006 and was enforced on 4 December 2007.
16.  On 3 March 2004 the applicant brought a new action against the authorities seeking an increase in the monthly disability allowance he was entitled to receive.
17.  On 6 December 2004 the Sosnovoborskiy Town Court awarded the applicant RUB 63,445 in arrears for the period from 1 July 2000 to 1 January 2004 and RUB 225,721.98 in arrears for the period from 1 January to 30 November 2004, and increased the monthly disability allowance from RUB 28,205.27 to RUB 30,000 as from December 2004. The parties did not appeal against the judgment and it became final on 17 December 2004.
18.  The judgment was enforced in full on 20 April 2007.
19.  On 29 March 2006 the Sosnoviy Bor Town Court adjusted the sums awarded under the judgment of 6 December 2004, which had been paid belatedly, to allow for inflation and awarded the applicant RUB 36,688.91. The decision was enforced on 4 December 2007.